


Strength

by 11JJ11



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Kissing, One Shot, Romance, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:19:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27107842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/11JJ11/pseuds/11JJ11
Summary: Marinette knew she was much stronger than she looked thanks to being a hero. So when her class had an arm wrestling contest she knew that she could beat all of them with ease, but she wasn't expecting anyone else to come close.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 29
Kudos: 782
Collections: Miraculous





	Strength

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Khanofallorcs, Roxas Wrw, and awildcapricorgihasappeared for being the betas for this fic!

“Come on, Nino, you can win this!” Alya shouted, her cry filling the classroom. Almost everyone was gathered around one of the desks, cheering on their two classmates, though no one was quite as loud as Alya– who let out another whoop for her boyfriend.

Max and Nino were staring each other down, hands locked as they tried to pin the other’s arm. Out of the entire class they weren’t the first ones you’d expect to be doing such an activity, but each boy’s eyes were filled with focus. Hovering above them was Markov, who was both refereeing and cheering on Max– whose arm was coming dangerously close to being pinned.

Chloe and Sabrina sat at their desks, Sabrina nodding eagerly in agreement to Chloe’s words, who was painting her nails with a dissatisfied look on her face. The rest of the girls were gathered with the boys watching the arm wrestling match, though the only ones who looked heavily invested were Alya and Alix.

 _“Nino wins!”_ Markov exclaimed in a robotic voice as Max’s arm hit the table. _“That’s too bad, Max– you can win next time!”_

“The odds of me winning were more in my favor against Nino than against the other males in the class, though still not the highest,” Max replied. “My best chances would be against Nathaniel, but he has not expressed any interest in participating. Perhaps against one of the girls...”

He glanced at them, though this proved to be a mistake– for several were now glaring at him. Alya crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow, while Juleka wrapped her arms around Rose’s shoulder. “Are you saying that us girls are weaker?”

“Well– scientifically, on average males do have more muscle mass and higher levels of strength than females,” Max replied. “Not that a female can’t be stronger, but typically that is not the case–”

“Alright then,” Rose chirped. “You can face Alix then!”

Max glanced at Alix, who was grinning at him as she took the seat Nino had previously been in, and he swallowed. “Statistically, that would not be in my favor. Someone else may go.”

“My turn!” Kim cried, being the one who had come up with the idea of an arm wrestling tournament in the first place. “You’re going down, Alix!”

“We’ll see about that!” she countered, the two grasping hands, and Markov took his place as the ref. At first glance it looked like Kim would win hands down, but everyone knew better than to underestimate Alix. She may have been on the shorter side, but she had muscles.

“Hey, Alya, where’s Marinette?” Mylene asked, glancing around. “Shouldn’t she have been here by now?”

“She must have slept in,” Alya replied, sounding unsurprised. “She’s been staying up so late recently. Better today than any other– with Miss Bustier not here and all.”

Mr. Damocles had stopped by their classroom this morning to tell them that their homeroom teacher had gotten into a car accident on the way to school. She was unharmed except for a few bruises, but would be unable to make it to class. With no time to get a substitute the principal had said he would step in, but after ten minutes he had told them they could be alone as long as they behaved, which led to where they were now.

As if on cue, Marinette burst into the classroom, shirt on backwards and hair barely pulled into her pigtails. She must have run the whole way here, panting heavily as she entered. “Sorry– late– cat meowing for attention– all night– on balcony–!”

Tired blue eyes stared at the teacher’s desk, blinking in confusion as she realized there was no teacher there. She glanced around the classroom, everyone gathered around one desk, and they all burst out laughing.

“Don’t worry, Mari, there’s no teacher to mark you tardy today,” Alya chuckled.

“I win!” Kim exclaimed, slamming Alix’s hand against the table.

“No fair– I was distracted by Marientte coming in!”

“A win’s a win, you should have been paying attention!”

“Come join us!” Adrien called, waving an arm towards her, causing a pink tinge to spread across her face. Marinette struggled against a yawn, heading up towards them, ignoring Chloe’s comments on her appearance as she joined the rest of the class. Kim and Alix were still arguing over whether it was a legitimate win or not.

“You know, Marinette, if you’re having trouble falling asleep at night I know a great doctor that can help,” Lila said, flashing a smile at Marinette as Alya threw an arm over Marinette’s shoulder. “It just hurts to see you come up with all these excuses that the teachers don’t believe, lying isn’t a good thing you know.”

“Perhaps you should take your advice for yourself,” Marinette mumbled under her breath.

“Let’s do this, Ivan!” Kim said excitedly, taking a seat. “I’m going to win this!”

“You can do it, Ivan!” Mylene cheered, causing her boyfriend to flush. Ivan gave her a quick peck on the head, before going to sit down across from Kim. Everyone was cheering excitedly, the two strongest in class about to face off against each other.

In terms of size, Ivan had the advantage, towering over the rest of the class with rippling muscles, but Kim was of course no weakling. His athletic and competitive nature was on Kim’s side as well as the two boys grasped hands, grinning at each other as Markov gave them the signal to begin.

“What’s going on?” Marinette muttered sleepily. “Miss Bustier...?”

“She was in a car wreck,” Rose said, and this seemed to wake Marinette right up. She jerked her head up, eyes widening in horror as she looked around at the rest of the class.

“She’s okay,” Juleka said softly. “Just can’t make it to class, that’s all.”

“Hence this competition,” Adrien finished, nodding at the boys. 

“I would have won that if I hadn’t gotten distracted,” Alix muttered.

“Did you beat anyone, Adrien?” Marinette asked, shooting a glance at Adrien’s arms, flushing slightly. Though having a lean build, he clearly was no weakling, visible muscles built up from his fencing and other activities.

He scratched at the back of his neck. “Nah, I haven’t faced anyone.”

“You should,” Nathaniel replied. “I think you’d have a pretty good chance against Kim.”

“I want to take on Adrien,” Alya replied, eyeing him. “I think I could beat you.”

Adrien grinned. “I’d like to see you try.”

“Don’t underestimate him,” Nino said. “My bro is quite strong– it’s honestly ridiculous!”

 _“Ivan wins!”_ Markov exclaimed, the dark haired boy finally slamming Kim’s arm against the table, though it hadn’t been a simple struggle. _“That makes him the strongest in the class! Congratulations!”_

“Not everyone has gone, so you don’t know that for sure,” Rose said.

 _“Max and I did the calculations,”_ Markov replied, the robot hovering higher into the air. _“In terms of natural strength and activity level Ivan was going to win, and we were correct. Ivan is the strongest, then Kim, then Alix, followed by Adrien.”_

“Adrien hasn’t gone yet though,” Marinette said, crossing her arms. “Calculations can help, but they aren’t guaranteed to be right.”

“She has a good point, Markov,” Max said, tapping his glasses in thought. “Everyone else in our top four we have at least got to see in action, but Adrien hasn’t gone against anyone yet.”

“Want to face the champion?” Kim said, looking a bit dejected by his loss, but just as excited to watch another round. “Adrien versus Ivan, guys– that’d be epic!”

Marinette glanced between the two boys– Adrien looking like a twig compared to Ivan’s build. Ivan had taken out Kim, someone who regularly worked out and tried to be the strongest, so with a sinking feeling she realized Adrien probably wouldn’t stand a chance. Even if he was strong and healthy, Ivan clearly had the advantage.

Ivan grunted, hand held out showing that he was more than happy to. Adrien pressed his lips together in thought, while some of his classmates began chanting his name. He shifted uncertainly, green eyes flickering to the ground, opening his mouth to respond.

“Guys, don’t force him if he doesn’t want to,” Lila said, everyone quieting down slightly as she spoke. “Adrien is a model after all, he can’t afford to get bruised up.”

Adrien’s gaze hardened as she spoke. “Actually, I do want to wrestle,” he said loudly, stepping forward to take the seat Kim was in, earning a whoop from the class. “Let’s do this, Ivan.”

 _“Ivan versus Adrien– this will make for excellent data!”_ Markov said excitedly. _“According to my calculations Ivan will be the winner, but Adrien will be able to hold his ground for a limited time! He will–”_

“You can do it, dude!” Nino cheered, cutting off Markov before he could ramble off all of the calculations he had done.

“Don’t let him claim the championship title, Ivan!” Kim called.

“Go, Adrien!” Alya and Marinette called together, though the latter looked worried for the blond.

Ivan and Adrien got into position, Markov flying overhead to get the best view. He counted down, and on his signal the match began. For a moment it looked like Ivan had it in the bag– nearly slamming Adrien’s arm straight down onto the table. With a grunt Adrien fought back, pushing against the wall of muscles to make the match even once more.

The two didn’t break eye contact, staring at each other as they fought for the upper hand. Ivan was gritting his teeth, while Adrien’s gaze was narrowed in focus. A slight hush fell across the class as Adrien began to push Ivan’s arm back, not only having resisted his strength but was now seeming to beat it. Ivan’s eyes widened slightly as his arm was pushed further down, looking startled as he was beginning to lose, but still held his ground.

Then a grin crossed Adrien’s face, and with a gleam in his green eyes he slammed Ivan’s arm down against the desk, ending the match with a sudden burst of speed. The classroom was silent as Ivan lost– and so quickly as well.

“Good match,” Adrien said, standing up and holding out his hand.

“Dude... what?” Nino exclaimed after a moment, breaking the silence.

“Bro, I didn’t know you were that strong!” Kim exclaimed excitedly as Adrien and Ivan shook hands. “Sit back down, you’re facing me next.”

“I don’t know–” Adrien began, looking slightly uncomfortable.

“If I’m going down then it’s going to be by someone that took down Ivan!” Kim insisted, grabbing Adrien by the shoulders, guiding him back to the chair. He glanced around, but only seeing eager glances he sat down once more. Even Chloe’s attention had been captured, though that was probably only because Adrien was involved.

Marinette frowned, seeing Adrien’s clear discomfort, but before she could say anything, yet another round of arm wrestling began, this time between Kim and Adrien. This round was even quicker than the last, both males panting slightly as Adrien pinned Kim’s hand down onto the table.

“I know you fence, but dude, when did you get this strong?” Nino asked, staring at Adrien like he had never seen him before. And while it was true that Adrien didn’t look weak, he most certainly didn’t look intimidating. He was a model– tall, skinny, with a smile that could make every girl faint.

“I guess maybe from my rock climbing wall?” Adrien said with a shrug. “That takes a lot of arm strength, right?”

“Rock climbing is being added to our routine, Alix!” Kim shouted.

 _“The data does not make sense!”_ Markov protested. _“Adrien’s physical activities are fencing, basketball, walking, and minimal rock climbing in his room– very low compared to Kim’s and Alix’s routines! Adrien’s physical build grants him no advantage in terms of strength, and if his estimated diet is that for a model like he is, nutritionally he would need much more to sustain the strength he has performed!_

“I guess it’s like Marinette said, data isn’t everything,” Adrien shrugged, trying to get the attention off of him.

 _“No! I simply need more data,”_ Markov insisted, zipping in close so he was right in front of Adrien’s face. _“May I be granted permission to follow you around all day to gather data? All results would be kept confidential, but this would be for science!”_

“Markov, you can’t follow people around!” Max exclaimed.

_“But I follow you around.”_

“That’s because we’re friends, it’s different.”

The little robot stared at Max blankly, question marks scrolling across his screen. _“But Adrien is my friend, is he not? Why can’t I follow him around? I asked him nicely.”_

“I’m afraid my father is very strict on what I can do and who I’m with,” Adrien told the robot with a sad smile. “I don’t think I’ll be able to let you do that, I’m sorry.”

 _“What a shame,”_ Markov said sadly, before zipping back to Max’s side. _“It looks like our data was wrong, Adrien is the strongest in the class.”_

“So you say, just ignoring all of us girls,” Alya said with a hand on her hip. “Alix totally would have won in a fair match, I know I could take on half you boys easily, and I betcha Mari could too.”

“What?!” Marinette yelped, almost jumping at the suggestion. “What on earth are you talking about, Alya, I’m not that strong...”

Alya raised an eyebrow. “‘Not that strong’? Says Mlle. ‘I’m-going-to-throw-you-over-my-shoulder-and-carry-you-away-from-an-akuma-attack-like-it’s-nothing’?”

“I was panicking!” Marinette cried. “It was coming right towards us, and you weren’t moving and adrenaline kicked in... And yeah, there’s no way I could do that otherwise!”

Marinette was strong, and she knew that, even when she wasn’t transformed. Her suit gave all of her physical abilities a boost, but her strength had still grown naturally from everything she did as a superhero. Running on top of buildings, lifting things that weighed much more than her– it was a good source of exercise, and had built up her muscles and endurance ever since she had become a superhero.

“You’re selling yourself short, girl,” Alya put a hand over her shoulder. “I’ve seen you carry those heavy bags of flour in your bakery, haul things all the way up to your room– I think you’re stronger than you realize.”

“Well of course she is,” Lila said, eyes turning to her as she spoke up. “But is it really fair to ask Marinette to go up against someone like Kim or Adrien? They’re clearly much stronger because of what they do, and we wouldn’t want to put Marinette through any embarrassment.”

Adrien and Marinette glared at her, while the others nodded thoughtfully at Lila’s words. There were plenty of girls in their class who would be considered strong, but even then facing them against Ivan’s natural bulk or Kim’s energetic lifestyle wouldn’t be a fair match.

Marinette wasn’t sure if Lila’s words were supposed to make herself look considerate, make Marinette look incapable, or egg Marinette into a match that she might lose– but it was the latter that won out in the end. Her gaze darkened as she listened to the liar’s words, before strolling forward and taking a seat at the desk at where the matches had been played.

“Adrien, get over here right now,” Marinette growled. “I’m taking you on.”

Lila wanted to call her weak? Marinette would simply show her who was the real strongest in the class. Tikki nudged Marinette’s side through her purse nervously, not wanting to risk her identity in any way, but she wasn’t about to let Lila win. Adrien stared at her, then her hand, then back at her.

“Um, I don’t think–”

“Scared you might lose to a girl, Agreste?” Alix asked.

“I just–”

“If you’re not afraid to take on Ivan then why are you cowering from Marinette?” Kim asked.

“I’m not scared I just– I just don’t want to hurt anyone!” Adrien protested.

Mainette’s gaze darkened, and it was an expression he hadn’t seen directed at him since the first day of school. “Are you calling me weak, Adrien?”

“N-no–!”

“Get over here so you can get a taste of defeat, pretty boy,” Marinette said, the words falling out of her mouth before she even realized what she was saying. She instantly flushed, alongside Adrien, while Alya let out a low whistle.

“Do you honestly think you can beat Adrikins?” Chloe huffed.

“Yes,” Marinette said without even blinking.

 _“He defeated Ivan!”_ Markov cried.

“Are you saying Ivan can defeat me no matter what?”

_“Well, there's a 98.5% chance that he would–”_

“Adrien, get over here so I can beat you,” Marinette said, still startled at her own confidence. “Unless you need a break from the other rounds, but I think it's been long enough.”

“I didn't mean to insult you, Marinette,” Adrien said. “And I'm not trying to sound boastful, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to win this. There's only one person who's ever beaten me in arm wrestling before and she's–”

“Wait,” Alix said, jumping in. “‘She’? You're saying the only other person to beat you was a girl, right?”

“Um, yes?” Adrien frowned. “Does that matter?”

“Nope!” Alix said cheerfully. “Some people here seem to think that it does, so it's just nice to let them hear that's not true~”

“We're not saying females can't be strong!” Max protested. “Just on average–!”

“I'm not getting younger,” Marinette said to Adrien, watching him intently. He let out a small sigh, going and sitting across from her.

“Put him in his place, Mari!” Alix called, grinning. She seemed to be the only one that believed she had a chance against Adrien, though Alya was calling encouragingly.

Chloe and Sabrina had gotten up from their seats to cheer Adrien on, and everyone else gathered around as Markov flew up into the air. Marinette and Adrien locked hands, and even through her determined gaze Marinette couldn't help but flush.

 _“Marinette versus Adrien!”_ Markov exclaimed. _“According to my data Adrien will win right away! You may begin in three, two, one– go!”_

For a half second it looked like Markov was right, Adrien beginning to push down Marinette's hand as soon as the match began– but that didn't last for long. She grinned, and with all her strength she pushed Adrien's arm down towards the table. It was a surge of strength that usually was enough to even surprise her papa– so when Adrien pushed back and managed to keep the match even towards the middle she was very surprised.

The two stared at each other in shock, both still struggling for the win, but didn't know how to react to the other’s power. Ladybug regularly wrestled with Chat Noir– both real wrestling and arm wrestling– and someone as lean as Adrien should have been easy compared to the powerful superhero, yet somehow he was able to hold her back.

The class was watching in a hushed silence. They had seen how quickly Adrien had beaten Ivan and Kim, so seeing Marinette hold her ground like this proved just how strong the smaller female was. She and Adrien didn't break eye contact, surprise and a determination still in their gaze as they fought for the upper hand.

Marinette grunted slightly, managing to push Adrien's arm further down. No one spoke, but as they struggled against each other she knew that this match was lasting longer than the others. Her arm was starting to hurt as more time passed, but she had managed to work Adrien's arm down lower and lower.

Sweat was forming on Adrien's face, putting every ounce of effort into fighting back, green eyes wide with confusion and shock. Sometimes he did manage to push her back a few inches, but she was swift to regain it. A half smile flickered into her face as Adrien's hand got closer and closer to the table, it having been a slow and strenuous effort. Adrien hadn't been lying– he was _strong._ Nearly as strong has her, and she was a superhero, the fact that he could hold up against her was impressive.

There was no slamming his arm against the table as others had when they claimed victory– Adrien fought up to the very last moment, pushing back against her as much as he could. The moment his knuckles touched wood the class broke out cheering, perhaps a bit much for arm wrestling, but they all seemed thrilled.

“Girl, I knew you were strong, but I didn't know you were that strong!” Alya cried, pouncing on Marinette as she won. “That was awesome!

 _“Marinette is the strongest in the class! My data was wrong!”_ Markov cried, question marks scrolling across his screen. _“I need to reanalyze and check my calculations!”_

“I want to take you on now!” Kim cried. “That was amazing!”

“How could you have beat my Adrikins?”

“Awesome!”

“Now I know not to cross Marinette...”

She tried to stay modest as her class broke out into chatter, weakly laughing and brushing off the compliments. She wondered if it would've been better to have let herself lose. Holding her ground for sometime against Adrien would've been impressive anyways so no one would have called her weak, and that would have meant less attention now.

However it was Adrien's words that made her freeze.

“Wow,” He said, looking genuinely awed, holding a hand out to Marinette as he stood up. “Good match. I never thought anyone else could beat me besides My Lady.”

My Lady. 

My Lady. _My Lady._

It wasn't just the words that he said– it was the very _way_ they were said. She recognized the way he spoke, the affection in his voice that he made no effort to hide as he fondly said the nickname, the familiar tones that brought nothing but a sense of trust to her mind.

She was stiff as they stood there, hand grasping Adrien's as she stared at him, mouth part way open as she tried to comprehend what he had just said. Part of her instantly thought it was a coincidence, but as she studied him... Blond hair, green eyes, he was the right height too... and that smile, that proud cheeky grin on his face– this was most definitely her Kitty. She swallowed nervously as she stood there, feeling slightly dizzy as the realization sunk in, but there was no denying it.

Adrien was Chat Noir.

Adrien's unnatural strength now made so much more sense, and how he had been able to hold his ground so easily against the likes of her and Ivan. It had nothing to do with fencing or rock climbing; he was the one running across Paris with her. It was really him– he had been right in front of her the whole time! Literally!

“Marinette?” Adrien asked in worry, the girl still frozen, hand still tightly grasping his, even as he tried to let go. “Is everything okay?

She sharply yanked him forward, Adrien stumbling into the table between them. Marinette leaned forward, her lips next to his ear as he tried to find his balance, voice soft. “Good match, Chaton.”

She let go of him, stepping back to enjoy the expression on his face as the realization washed over him. The way those beautiful green eyes widened, hands having to catch himself on the desk to keep him from falling forward. He shoved himself back to his feet, head whipping straight towards her, and she could practically hear the confused thoughts racing through him, connecting the same dots she had moments ago. She bit back a laugh, settling for a mischievous grin instead.

“I– er– um–” a few sounds escaped him, and he stared at her in shock. She knew their classmates were confused at just what was happening, but all of them paled compared to Adrien. He scanned her, and you could see the moment the realization hit you. “Y-you’re–!”

“Cat got your tongue?” she asked playfully, hand on her hip, and Adrien looked like he could faint with happiness right there.

“It’s you,” he whispered in excitement, eyes lighting up. He stared at her for a few moments, before letting out a very soft: “Marry me.”

Unfortunately the classroom had been quiet, everyone having been trying to figure out what exactly was happening between the two of them, so everyone had quite clearly heard what he said. In that moment pandemonium broke out, a confused clatter filling the room. Adrien flushed as he realized just what he had said, Alya squealed, Rose cooed, Chloe let out a disbelieving gasp, and and Lila’s glare bore into her– but Marinette only let out a small squeak.

Chat Noir or not, hearing Adrien say that to her was just a bit overwhelming.

But it wasn’t just Adrien in front of her, but her best friend and partner that she was more than used to teasing. So even with her face turning red she still put on a smile, pulling herself onto the desk and leaning towards him. He was even redder than her, looking at her in embarrassment at what he had just said, and she grinned.

“I like that idea,” Marinette replied, enjoying the stunned look on her Kitty’s face. “But aren’t you usually supposed to ask me out on a date before you ask me that?”

“Go get him, girl!” Alya whooped, not sure what was happening, but her ship was sailing.

“Wha–” Adrien began, looking very startled at what wasn’t a rejection. “But I just meant– er– I thought that you–”

She crossed her legs. “Oh yeah, I never told you the name of that other boy I like, did I?” she winked at Adrien, the confidence she was showing fortunately covering her inner panic. “Well Kitty, the name of the boy I love is Adrien Agreste.”

Adrien somehow managed to go redder. “M-me? I’m the boy you like– um– _l-love?”_

This was gold– getting Chat Noir flustered wasn’t impossible, but she had never seen Adrien like this before. She had to admit she was enjoying this a little too much, a confused yet huge grin on Adrien’s face, clearly happy but still trying to figure out what was going on. He stared at her for a few moments, mouth opening as he tried to find something else to say.

He then finally realized that words weren’t coming to him, and leaned forward instead.

They moved together, like they so often did with an akuma fight. Except for now there was no threat to face, instead her hand grabbing his shirt and him cupping her cheeks. She pulled him down as he pulled her forward, their lips pressing against each other for what technically wasn’t their first kiss– but for all they cared it was their first. They didn’t care that the class was watching, or that it just wasn’t a simple peck, instead the union of two who could finally be with the other.

“...That was better than I imagined,” Marinette said breathlessly as they pulled apart, and several of their classmates let out loud whoops.

Adrien had Chat’s lovesick grin on his face. “You imagined kissing me,” he said softly, and his grin widened. “Ha. Told you I was irresistible.”

“Shut up,” she muttered, grinning as she shoved a hand against his chest, pushing him back.

“Girl, I did not think you had it in you!” Alya cried. “Nino, you owe me twenty euros!”

“And Alix owes me fifty!”

“You were betting on us?” Adrien asked incredulously, pulling Marinette closer.

“Everyone had bets on the Adrienette ship, dude.”


End file.
